Fatherhood inspired 1 of Paul Walker's final roles

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Before his death, "Fast & Furious" star Paul Walker was drawing parallels between his real-life role as dad to 15-year-old daughter Meadow and his part as an unexpected father to a newborn baby in the upcoming Hurricane Katrina drama "Hours."

"I think it definitely helps to have a daughter, but I think if you're a human being and you have love in your heart, you're going to find connective fibers in this," Walker said in a Nov. 14 interview with The Associated Press to promote the film. "There's definitely a purity and a truth to it."

"Hours" stars Walker and Genesis Rodriguez as a couple who rush to a New Orleans hospital after Rodriguez's character goes into early labor. When the hurricane hits the city, Walker's character finds himself stranded in an evacuated hospital with his ailing newborn daughter.

"My baby wasn't planned," Walker said. "I wasn't married, out of wedlock, the whole bit. (I was) finding my step with it. I'm still finding my step. I think you always are. I'm five times the father that I was five years ago. Your head's more in it. Your heart's more in it. You can't force it. You want to be better at it, just something hasn't clicked yet."

Walker and his friend and fellow fast-car enthusiast Roger Rodas died Saturday when the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT they were traveling in smashed into a light pole and tree. The two had taken what was expected to be a brief drive away from a charity fundraiser and toy drive at Rodas' custom car shop in the Southern California community of Valencia, about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Walker starred in all but one of the six "Fast & Furious" blockbusters. He had been on break from shooting the latest installment; Universal Pictures has not said what it plans to do with "Fast & Furious 7," currently slated for a July release.

Lionsgate's Pantelion Films is set to release "Hours" on Dec. 13. Walker also stars in "Brick Mansions," a remake of the French action film "District B13" that Relativity plans to release next year.

"We're not always our best, but so long as it's two steps forward to every one step back, you keep going," Walker said about his character in "Hours."

"You're all right. Maybe it's two steps back every once in a while, but we get back up. It's that momentum. We try to sustain it, keep it rolling."